Mumbai Rains Subside, but Megablock on Central Railway Causes Commuter Woes

Mumbai, 30th July 2023: The week-long incessant rains in the Mumbai suburbs have finally ceased, bringing some relief to the city. However, the recent megablock on the Central Railway lines has caused significant inconvenience to commuters.

During the megablock on the main and harbor lines of the Central Railway, commuters had to endure crowded local trains even on weekends. Half of the local train services were canceled as per the Sunday schedule, and even after the block was lifted, delays persisted on Central Railway’s local train services.

The Thane-Kalyan 5th and 6th routes were affected by the block, causing local trains to run late by approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Long-distance Mail-Express trains to and from Mumbai had to be operated on the up-down express line between Thane and Kalyan during the block period, leading to delays in their schedules.

This disruption in the express line’s timing, in turn, affected the local trains’ schedule, causing frustration among the passengers. Moreover, due to the reduced number of trains on the Sunday schedule, commuters had to face overcrowding in the available services.

The Harbor Line between Panvel and Vashi stations also witnessed inter-station block works, leading to the cancellation of local train services on both up and down routes. As a result, passengers traveling to Mumbai had to resort to road transport to reach Vashi station before catching a local train. However, the number of local trains from Vashi to CSMT was insufficient, leading to overcrowded trains and inconvenience for commuters.

Local traffic between Panvel and Vashi resumed only after 4:30 PM, coinciding with the time when many passengers were out for an evening stroll, exacerbating the crowded conditions in the local trains.

The commuters are hoping for smoother train operations and improved scheduling to avoid such hassles during their daily travel.